By Len Wallick
Welcome to Monday. This week is a time when it is as attractive and appropriate to look back as it is to focus on the future. This is concurrent with the ongoing exchange between the personal and political as represented by the now continuous series of events in the first degrees of the cardinal signs. Past and future, personal and political. How we prioritize and balance between those imperatives will determine how the astrology of the next few weeks will be manifested in our lives. Therefore it seems appropriate to begin with a review of the weekend just past.
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Indeed, as if on cue, the aspects of the luminaries (Sun and Moon) and personal planets Mercury, Venus and Mars, amounted to something of a passion play over the past several days. Last Friday, Mercury ingressed to Taurus. Almost concurrently, the Moon moved from Scorpio’s mystery of transformation in the dark and into the eternal flame of Sagittarius. Within hours after that transit, Luna formed a trine aspect (120 degrees of separation) with the Sun in Aries. At the same time, Venus in Taurus was exacting a square (90 degrees of separation) with Mars in Leo. Soon thereafter Mercury, also in Taurus, formed its own square to Mars. That was just through Saturday.
Yesterday Mercury entered the echo phase, sometimes called shadow phase, of its retrograde, which actually starts April 18. The echo phase is when Mercury will be in the degrees where it’s about to be retrograde; and when it’s covering those same degrees after it stations direct on May 12. This echo phase business is a new addition to the mythology of Mercury retrograde. We used to just pay attention to the 23 or so days of the actual retrograde; over time, a more sophisticated view has taken hold and the process stretches out about eight weeks: the two echo phases and the retrograde itself.
This time around, the whole process ends just as Uranus is making its historic transit into Aries. Pretty cool how that works out.
Easter Sunday closed with the Moon moving into Capricorn (joining Ceres and Pluto) and Mercury and Venus in Taurus forming a trine (120 degrees of separation) to Pluto, aspects which still in effect this morning.
How to sum up such a period? Some significant shifts and changes are afoot that may not be immediately apparent; passionate energy devoted to matters personal and relational, as well as devotional. A potential that we are starting today feels like it has a little less in reserve than we would like to have.
This morning finds us grateful for that perspective but left with little time to dwell on it. The Capricorn Moon starts off the day with three meaningful aspects in quick succession. A trine to Mercury in Taurus encourages us to get our heads in the game and pay attention. This is followed quickly by double-edged conjunction with Pluto. On the one hand there is the potential to be emotionally triggered by the perception that we are helpless in the path of irresistible forces. On the other there is the opportunity to stand in the awareness that the ground is still there under our feet. As if in service to the positive opportunity, Luna moves directly from the Pluto meeting into a trine with Venus in Taurus. Perhaps like a call with good news right when you need it.
As if that were not enough, the Moon enters the latter part of the day with a square to the Sun, exacting the last quarter phase when Luna looks like she is cut in half and getting smaller as we progress towards the Aries New Moon next week.
Speaking of half, the Sun rises today fully in the second half of Aries (that is, past the midpoint). It ends the day in opposition to the dwarf planet Haumea in Libra. Pronounced how-MAY-ah, and named after the Hawaiian goddess of fertility, an opposition to the Sun indicates a time for labor to end and birth to commence. This aspect decidedly encourages us to look forward and carries us from the weekend of personal aspects and transits and into the week when we will once again return to the big picture of the outer planets converging into the first degrees of the cardinal signs.
Take some time away from the fray if you can and use it to gain perspective. This is not a time for hasty reaction but rather patient response. This is not a time to force issues but rather for persistence informed by adaptability. These things will become clear in the days to follow.
Offered In Service
Carrie,
First of all i’m sure you and your husband have the compassion and support of the entire Planet Waves community. Your efforts (and his) are powerful examples the strength and stamina of the human spirit. To help you martial your energies, please keep a couple things in mind (1) Astrology is not destiny. (2) “what it will mean” is not an appropriate question for astrology. We each and collectively create the meaning of our time here as well as the aspects and transits that go with them. It is in observing the syncronicity of events with our choices that we are able to achieve a parallax perspective by comparing and contrasting the concurrent reading of any oracular device that is sufficiently complex but not too specific. (3) Life goes on during a Mercury retrograde – we must do what we need to do regarless.
May you and your family receive blessings in proportion to your devotion.
Oh yeah, the timing is amazing as well; the Merc Rx shadow phase after it goes back direct ends on May 28th, and my husband’s practicum has been extended to…yep… the end of May. It would have ended in the middle of May (16 weeks) but because of this problem teacher he has been with, it will actually take place throughout the entire Merc Rx, shadow phases and all.
I have NO idea what that will mean for him because I am just not experienced enough about astrology to figure that out. All I know is, Merc is currently in his third house and will Rx in his 4th house so the whole thing goes between his third and fourth houses and crosses his IC, opposes his MC. Merc is currently opposing his natal Neptune and Saturn (they are in his 9th house). Merc Rx will also oppose his sun in the 10th house and will conjunct his Jupiter in the 4th house. So let’s see…we have career, personal self, higher education being opposed, family home, siblings, communications, the expansive Jupiter being directly involved. :::I am so confused::::
The feel of it isn’t good because of the oppositions and houses involved in those but as I said, I am not that good at this stuff.
Thanks, Len for this article. Between this one and today’s Merc retro one in my inbox from Eric, I am thinking. My husband (student teaching) is having a chance to be reassigned to a different teacher because when his university instructor found out the current one told him she didn’t want to teach students like him and won’t allow him to teach things his own way, she suggested that he be reassigned. Yet I look at that Merc retro and see that this reassignment will happen right during the shadow phase and he may begin the new assignment during that phase. Eric said, “Things begun (for the first time) immediately before the station can have a tendency to be temporary, subject to revision or subject to reversal.” What the hell does that portend for my husband’s student teaching if he is reassigned at that time? Yet the reassignment won’t be something begun for the first time exactly but instead will be something he is redoing a second time with someone else. And how appropos that the Merc Rx is in Taurus the money sign; this student teaching is pass fail and if he is failed, he cannot start teaching this fall and cannot support his family, nor does he have any student loan money left to do another practicum yet if he passes, that opens up the door to his career that he has worked so hard to change. Amazing how astrology is so personal.
Please, everyone, keep fingers crossed that this reassignment is what he is supposed to have and that it goes well. It has been a hard (and very emotionally difficult for him) slog. It is but one hurdle among several that we must overcome in order to be able to support ourselves and our kids.
You are truly amazing, Len. Eric as well. And this time, I am not going into panic mode…at least not yet. :::grin:::
Thanks, Len and Be, for the kindness. And yes, that’s exactly what Lily was saying. I ate dinner and put the finished plate down and there’s nobody to lick it! I have to wash dishes that haven’t been pre-cleaned! There’s no tap-dancing sound of expectant little dog toenails clicking behind me as I go to the kitchen. It’s quiet. Real quiet. And yes, when I get the new job, Hazel will be proud of me. Thanks again!
Hazel1,
I’m so sorry to hear about losing your doggy Hazel. I had to have my sweet Crystal, a kitty about 17 years old, put to sleep four months ago. She too had dementia and it was heartbreaking to watch when she would just stare at the wall for long periods, or sometimes get off the bed and start in one direction then start for another direction to finally wind up going in the original direction. I know too how it feels to want to turn back the time when all the signs say its time to move forward. I think our pets are angels sent to keep us sane in a crazy world, and that it is more matter-of-fact to them, this living and dying stuff. Probably why Lily was sending you the message to enjoy life.
I will pray that you sleep well tonight and know that Hazel isn’t suffering now and she loves you for caring so much. Try to think about when she was still a smart little girl and once you get your new job she will be happy knowing she helped you move on. Say goodnight to your 3 kitties too. it takes a while, but it will get easier, won’t it Len?
be
Barbara – Thank for your your information and for sharing the depth of your knowledge.
Jude – Thank goodness your loved ones are ok.
Nance – WE are ready.
Hazel-the last time i cried (really, really cried) it was provoked by the passing of a great and gentle dog. My heart is with you. My whole heart is with you. Oh yes.
Eric – thank you once again. Without your generous opportunity, it would not be as good as it is.
In the past two weeks I have found out that my boss is quitting, I’m applying for her job and it looks good though they’re interviewing a few other people, so that’s stress in a kind of good way, though I like my boss and I’ll miss her and I’m nervous about managing the store. Also, today, I had to put my dog of 13 years, Hazel to sleep because she had really bad dementia and lately would howl at the bathtub, who knows why. It’s especially sad because she was a really smart dog, I know everybody says that about their dog, and it’s probably true with them too. And I feel like the old stuff is just gone, like high school graduation and you look around campus and it’s not “yours” anymore, but you have no idea what’s next and you wish you could just press replay, but there’s no button for it because it’s a new machine that only goes forward. As Hazel was going on the final journey, her three cats sat beside her, which was nice, I knew she was gone when Lily got up and walked away even before the vet told me. And as I was talking to Lily later I got the idea that it’s not a time to cry so much but a time to enjoy being alive (cats are good that way).
Egads,
maybe I’m not ready!
Jude,
You really had your hands full didn’t you? Glad your family and gramma’s piano remained intact. Len says “some significant shifts and changes are afoot that may not be immediately apparant”, so thought I’d provide some dates that may or may not cause more rumbles. Best to be prepared.
Len has said that Uranus is associated with the likes of earthquakes and right now Uranus is square the Galactic Core, and this weekend he was exactly sextile the U.S. (Sibly) Pluto (27 Cap 33 rx). I’m thinking this might be considered a wake-up call. He will sextile the progressed U.S. Pluto in May too.
On April 26 or 27, Uranus will oppose Saturn who will be in earthy Virgo by then. Also at the same time, nasty little TNO Typhon will conjunct the U.S. natal Neptune (who squares U.S. Mars). Wikipedia says of him “a deadly monster of Greek mythology, rejected by all. He (also) was thought to cause volcanic eruptions, hot dangerous wind storms, earthquakes and tsunamis.” Then on the 28th there is a Full Scorpio Moon at 8+ which also conjuncts the President’s natal Neptune.
I’m wondering too about the Jupiter opposite Saturn in May where Jupiter is only 2 degrees from Uranus, and then in June, Jupiter and Uranus conjunct at the Aries point. Violent weather can be just as personal as oh say a violent demonstration or a violent war or. . . . . .
These observations are offered as an opportunity to stand in awareness (thank you Moon transits) and look forward (thank you Sun-Haumea) and batten down the hatches (thank you Saturn in Virgo) and of course, Gramma’s piano too!
This is encouraging:
“Speaking of half, the Sun rises today fully in the second half of Aries (that is, past the midpoint). It ends the day in opposition to the dwarf planet Haumea in Libra. Pronounced how-MAY-ah, and named after the Hawaiian goddess of fertility, an opposition to the Sun indicates a time for labor to end and birth to commence.”
The labor part of the birthing process for me felt like a regular onslaught, something to roll with, not to control. Let the birthing begin! That’s the fun part – fully engaged, pushing, relaxing, recovering, repeat… fully empowered in the process of spirit made beautifully manifest.
Ready!
Appropriate ‘irresistible forces’ and ‘ground under our feet’ reference — last night, keeping an eye on tornado watches here in the midwest, I got emails and calls from dear ones back home in California to indicate they were alright. My daughter reports that Grammas’ baby grand actually moved a bit in the 40 second roll. 7.2 and counting. The Ring of Fire is growling and we’ll see more of this, methinks. J.Z. Knight’s Ramptha used to call this “living on the zipper.”
The ground is beneath our feet but it’s shaking us awake. The Haumea reference is well taken. Great job, as usual, Len — thank you.
Pretty cool indeed. The ground is still under my feet – again – and fertile, so what’s not to be happy about? Looks like a perfect day Len, no fooling; thanks for this mellow and much appreciated summary. Hope all is well with you and the whole PW community.